Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 11 - Korsok

Dreadful nights sleep and it was probably my fault.  At 5,166 metres the grim camp at Gyam was our highest yet and anticipating a bad night I took my first diamox, the drug supposed to help with the altitude symptoms.  Christine has been taking them since we got off the plane at Leh but she is into drug assistance of all kinds and even bought some sleeping "pills" (had the size and look of rabbit droppings) from the monks in the monastery at Thiksey.  Whether it was caused by the diamox I don't really know but I just couldn't get my breathing to work on automatic.  It was like my body had forgotten how to do it and needed reminding every 90 seconds or so by which time it was 30 seconds too late requiring a conscious gasping double dose.  It was miserable and I thought the night was never going to end.

Climbing up the Yalung Nyau La 

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 10 - Gyame

After a relatively easy day, today's walk was tough.  It involved crossing two passes over 5,400 metres and everyone found it a hard day.  Helen Marie, who has struggled with the altitude, decided that she would make use of the spare pony.  She is clearly thinking that she might have to abandon the trip which would mean leaving it the day after tomorrow at Korsok.

A flock of sheep getting ready to depart.

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 9 - Rajung Karu

After three tough days, an easier one today.

We saw signs that the Changpa nomads were about yesterday but today we got to meet them. The Changpa live on the Changtang plateau most of which is in Tibet. They are semi-nomadic moving their herds of sheep, goats and yak in rotation from one campsite to another, moving on when the grass runs out.  The permanent features of the regular campsites, stone animal enclosures and stone foundations on which a single room yurt is assembled, are scattered across the landscape and used each time the nomads visit.  Dilip says that they are up here in th high mountains all the year round including the 9 long winter when the temperatures get to minus 35.  He tells me that it's so cold in the winter that the nomads congregate in a single yurt and sleep around the fire huddled together in a kneeling position.  I must admit I wonder if this a Ladakh version of urban myth but Dilip definitely believes it.

Leaving the camp a passing an empty nomad settlement

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 8 - Riyul

This is one of the first group treks where I can remember everyone's names.  This might be because of the size of the group (just 11 people) or something to do with how friendly everyone is - either way it's definitely an easy group of people to be with.

The group consists of "Dr Nick" - who we met last year on the Annapurna who is the same age as me (58) and a strong walker; Ralph the German who lives in Paris, early forties and another strong walker; Pete again my age, from Lincolnshire (my home county), a strong walker and a veteran of numerous similar trips; Pauline a solicitor from Dublin who I guess is in her late forties; Amanda and Andrew (besides us the only other couple), who crack jokes all day and are the life and soul of the group; Sven from Sweden who at 34 is the baby of the group; Malcolm from Nottingham somewhere in his early 50s, a strong walker who I think models himself on Wainwright; and Helen Marie from Canada who looks much younger than she is (mid sixties I think).

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 7 - Tisaling

What a wonderful day's trekking.  We had slept well and for some reason the walk, which included crossing two passes each well in excess of 5,000 metres, turned out to be easier than anticipated.  We are on a roll.

Markha Mountains and ponies

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 6 - Kyamar

Dilip is a really nice guy.  He knocks on the tent at about six with the morning tea and asks how we are and whether or not we got a good night's sleep.  He was genuinely concerned, it's like having your mum with you on the trip.  Although Christine was still pretty rough, I was already on the mend.

The man with the drugs - Dr Nick

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 5 - Rumtse

I'm not well, nor is Christine, but my guts are just a bit more violent.

Despite churning insides I managed to survive the journey in one of three mini-buses from Leh to Rumtse.  Shared the bus with Christine, Ralf (a German but long time resident of France) and Sven from Sweden.  Ralf is a university lecturer in Paris, something to do with computers but with a massive interest in European History.  I had retired to an audible book (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - brilliant) but Christine dragged me away and we were soon in a conversation with Ralf about the parallels and disjuntures between French and British history - the time and journey just flew by.